E-mail and other electronic messaging systems have enabled a technical revolution in business and personal communications, and have provided a platform for social and organizational networking. In recent years, use of electronic messaging, such as e-mail, short messaging, text messaging, blogging, electronic forums, and so on, has increased exponentially due to the inexpensive and near instantaneous communication platform that electronic messaging provides. Such platforms have rapidly decreased time required to share and disseminate information, whether for a large, multi-national organization, a network of friends or family members, or remotely located small business partners.
Because of the ease, speed and cost-effectiveness with which computers and computer networking has enhanced human social and business interaction, such devices and networks have been rapidly integrated into human activity. On the enterprise side, efficiencies with which individuals can share information, perform tasks, disseminate instructions, search for knowledge-based resources, expose data to users, or share user concerns have greatly increased by advantages provided by inter-personal networks. Regarding social networks, user inter-connectivity and inter-relatedness has been increased as social networking websites have enabled users to share personal information, media files, media applications, pictures, videos, audio, and so on, over the Internet.
In recent years, a substantial portion of the global population has been able to afford at least one electronic networking device, and many are able to afford multiple such devices. Accordingly, the electronic communication revolution, as some commentators have named the proliferation of electronic networking, has truly become a global phenomenon. Moreover, this phenomenon has enabled near real-time personal and business interaction throughout the globe in a manner heretofore unknown. Accordingly, much research continues in advancing the capabilities and applications for electronic communication, to further enhance human interaction and evolution.